The Stares of Strangers Read online

  I observed all the other males in the class. Once in a while, I'd catch one of them checking out Penny in the mirror, but the glances never lingered like Ken's. He was fixated.

  After about forty minutes, I'd seen enough. I used the bathroom and then went back outside.

  “Well?” Carter said to me when I got into the Buick. He handed me a slice of pizza and it smelled wonderful.

  “It's hard to say, but there's a really good chance that Ken is fixated on Penny. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her: but does that make him a creep? I don't know.”

  “Once we have his last name, we'll get a better idea of who this guy is. Until then, we just wait.”

  Chapter 10

  A few minutes after six, the yoga students began leaving the studio. Ken the ponytail man emerged by himself and crossed the parking lot, passing directly in front of our parked car.

  “There he is,” I said. “The one with the ponytail.”

  Carter snapped a few pictures with his cell phone. “Looks like he's headed for that Prius. I'll get a shot of the license plate.”

  When Ken got in his car, he didn't start the engine. Instead, he sat there, looking down, as if on his cell phone. He didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.

  “He looks harmless, doesn't he?” I said. “And, if I dare say it, kinda cute?”

  Carter raised an eyebrow at me. “Don't tell me you're going to take up yoga now.”

  I chuckled. “No way. I wouldn't fit in with this crowd. They might try to convert me to veganism.”

  “Veganism? Is that even a word?”

  “Who knows.” I chuckled. “Nothing against Vegans, of course. To each his own.”

  I knew Carter felt the same way. He's never met a hamburger that he didn't like.

  Ken was still sitting in his car five minutes later when Penny came walking out of the studio and casually made her way to her car.

  “Aha,” I said, pointing to the Prius. “He started his engine just as soon as Penny came outside. How convenient.”

  “Maybe your instincts are right about this guy,” Carter said. “Now let's see if he follows her.”

  I sent Penny a quick text. Drive slowly. Looks like you might be leading a procession.

  She texted back. Okay. Here we go.

  As soon as Penny started her engine and slowly drove through the parking lot, Ken managed to get in line right behind her.

  “He's a slick little devil,” I said.

  “Yep, I'd say he's done this before.” Carter was able to get in line behind the Prius, and thus began the motorcade.

  Penny took a right out of the lot, heading home. Ken followed at a close distance all the way through town. Carter stayed on his tail, nearly running a red light at one point. Ken hadn't checked his rearview mirrors. If he had noticed us riding his bumper, I figured he would have at least given us a dirty look.

  Once we got into Penny's neighborhood, she slowed down to the twenty mile an hour speed limit but, when she pulled into her driveway, the Prius kept going. Never slowing down.

  “Should we follow him?” I asked.

  “No,” Carter said. “We'll be able to find out where he lives from his license plate number. Right now, we need to stay with Penny.”

  We parked the Buick on the street in front of the house and met Penny at her front door. “Maybe he really wasn't following me.”

  “Maybe not,” I said. “But he was waiting in his car until the moment you came out of yoga. Could be a coincidence. Or, he noticed he was being followed.”

  Penny unlocked the front door and the three of us went inside. “I have no idea where Jessica and Caleb are. Maybe they went out to eat.”

  Carter asked us to wait in the kitchen until he had a chance to look through the house and around the yard.

  “Did you see Ken staring at me the whole class?” Penny asked me once we were alone. “Or was it just my imagination?”

  “You're not imagining it. His eyes were on you like glue. The other guys in the class seemed to glance at you from time to time, but not to the degree of Ken. I’m surprised he’s never tried to engage you in conversation.”

  Penny gulped down half a bottle of water, wiping the sweaty, matted hair from her face. “Are you guys gonna do a background check on him?”

  “Yeah. Knowing Carter, he'll have Ken's life story within a few hours.”

  Penny made a half-hearted attempt to smile. “Man, you and Carter are really taking this seriously, huh?”

  “This is a serious matter. Until we know who is behind this, we have to assume you're in danger.”

  “I had a hard time concentrating in yoga class tonight. I kept thinking about Jessica. What if you're right about her? What if she knows about Caleb?”

  “If you're feeling guilty about it, maybe you should just sit her down and have a heart to heart conversation. Tell her the truth and beg forgiveness.”

  Penny shuddered. “I can't do that. I made a promise to Caleb.”

  “Who is more important to you?” I asked. “Jessica or Caleb?”

  “Jessica, of course. But ...”

  When Carter came into the kitchen, he gave a thumbs up. “All clear at the homestead. I'm going to get to work and find out more about our new friend, Ken.”

  Penny breathed out. “Okay, so what should I do?”

  I checked my watch; almost six-thirty. “Can you find out when Jessica and Caleb expect to be home?”

  “I'll text Jessica right now and see what she's up to.” Penny got on her cell phone and her thumbs tapped out a short message. “She usually gets right back to me.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “So what are your plans for this evening? Staying in?”

  “I have no plans. I'm gonna take a shower, eat some leftover soup, then probably watch a movie. Will you hang out here, at least until Jessica and Caleb get home?”

  “Sure, we can do that.”

  Penny's phone chirped out a funny sound. “That must be Jessica.” She read the text and smiled. “Awe, that is so sweet. Jess and Caleb are getting Chinese food to bring home for me.”

  “So, they'll be back here within the hour?”

  “I guess so. I'd invite you and Carter to eat with us, but …”

  “No, that's fine,” I said. “Thanks anyway. We already had pizza.”

  Penny nodded. “Well, I guess I better get in the shower.”

  “Okay. As soon as Jessica and Caleb get here, Carter and I will head home for a few hours. Give me a call right before you guys go to bed, and we'll come back to keep watch on the house.”

  Penny didn't seem to be enthralled with that idea. “You really think it's necessary? I doubt anyone is going to try and break into the house when my roommates are around.”

  “That's the point,” I said. “We don't know what this guy is capable of but we have everything in place now. The surveillance cameras are important but having eyes on this house is important, too.”

  “Should I tell Jessica and Caleb about the hidden cameras?”

  “That's up to you. My advice, though, is that you don't.”

  Penny regarded me with trepidation. “You still think Jessica … never mind. I don't want to talk about it anymore.”

  * * *

  When Carter and I got back to my apartment around seven o'clock, Carter immediately set his laptop on my kitchen table. “Sarah, why don't you try and get in a few hours of sleep before we go back to Penny's. It's gonna be a long night.”

  “Don't you need help doing the research on Ken?”

  “Nope, I got this.”

  “Okay. I think I'll take a hot bath first. I stepped in a slushy puddle and got my feet soaked. I need to warm my bones.”

  Carter looked up at me. His eyes widened. “You mean, you're gonna get naked?”

  “Well, yeah. I usually don't take a bath with my clothes on.”

  He gave me his best sexy smile. “In that case, maybe I'll have to work fast and join you in the bedroom later.”

  I
leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. “I'll be waiting.”

  Chapter 11

  When Penny called around eleven o'clock that evening, Carter and I were ready to go.

  “Did you find out anything about Ken?” Penny asked.

  “Yes. Carter did a thorough background check on him. His name is Kenneth Jenkins. He's married with two kids and just happens to live three blocks from your house.”

  She almost seemed upset. “You're kidding. So, he wasn't following me after all?”

  “There are several ways we can analyze this,” I said. “The fact that he lives so close to you makes it more convenient for him, in terms of stalking you. He could simply tell his wife he's going out for a run when, in actuality, he's lurking around your house like a peeping Tom. The flip side to that is, he may not have been following you home at all. It's just the normal route he takes to his own house.”

  “What else did you find out?”

  I referred to my notes. “He's squeaky clean in terms of arrests. His Instagram page is full of family photos of his beautiful wife and adorable children. He and his wife own The Herbal Path store in Bridgeport, where they also teach classes about natural wellness through vitamins and herbs.”

  “So, what you're saying is, he's probably not my stalker?” Penny said.

  “He doesn't fit the profile, but he might have a dark side no one knows about. We won't discount him just yet.”

  Penny yawned. “Well, I should get to bed. I have to be at work by six-thirty. Are you still coming over to babysit?”

  “Yes. We'll be parked across the street, at the foreclosed house. Now, if you see or hear anything strange, give us a call at any time. We'll be right over.”

  Another yawn. “Okay, will do.”

  “By the way, did you decide to tell Jessica and Caleb about the hidden cameras?”

  “No, I didn't tell 'em.” Penny lowered her voice to a whisper. “I feel a little guilty about it. I mean, this is their home, too and they have a right to know what's going on.”

  “I understand,” I said. “Just hold off for another day or two. Hopefully this will all be over with very soon.”

  * * *

  Among Carter's many talents, lock picking is one of his specialties. We were able to get inside the foreclosed home within minutes. In order to keep a low profile, we decided to keep all the lights off as we set up camp in front of a small bedroom window. Carter's laptop was open and tuned into the streaming video feed from the hidden cameras set up at each door in Penny's house.

  “Hey, at least they left some furniture,” I said, rubbing my hands together. “And it's relatively warm in here. Better than I expected.”

  “Yep,” Carter said as he moved a chair over to the window. “This sure beats sitting in a cold car all night long.”

  “I'm glad the electricity hasn't been turned off. I brought some instant coffee to heat up in the microwave.”

  “Good thinking,” he said. “Nothing like a caffeine buzz to keep us alert on a stakeout.”

  “Well, I can't imagine Penny's stalker is going to be making an appearance tonight. It's bitter cold and windy outside.”

  “You might be right, but obsession often comes before comfort. That's the power of obsession, you have no control over it. It consumes you.”

  “Have you ever been obsessed with a girl?” I asked.

  Carter gave me a sideward glance. “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, you always seem so in control of your emotions. Like nothing could rattle you. Has a woman ever rattled you to the point where it made you feel desperate in some way?”

  He gazed out the window with a thoughtful expression. “The only time I remember feeling desperate was with my first girlfriend. I was sixteen and she was fifteen. Our romance only lasted a few months. When she broke up with me, I thought my life was over.”

  “Were you in love with her?”

  “I was sixteen. What do you know about love at that age?”

  “Do you remember her name?”

  “Barbara Cranton. I looked her up a few years ago, just out of curiosity.”

  “Oh? Did you get in touch?”

  “No. She's twice divorced and morbidly obese. The only pictures on her Facebook page are of her and her three cats.”

  “Well, I bet she looks back and wishes she never broke up with you.”

  Carter snickered as he continued to look out the window toward Penny's house. “What about you?” he asked. “Ever been obsessed with someone?”

  “When I was going to massage school, there was this guy I sort of became enamored with. Clay Mitchell. He was gorgeous and flirted with me constantly, but never made the moves. He was very private about his personal life, so I wondered if he had a girlfriend. I found out where he lived and I'd go out of my way to drive through his neighborhood to see if he lived with somebody. I felt like a stalker.”

  “Did he live with someone?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Another dude. Come to find out, his gay lover.”

  “Ouch.” Carter made a pained face. “That sucks.”

  “Actually, it was great. My obsession was instantly cured after that.”

  Carter tapped the window. “Speaking of casing the neighborhood, I've seen the same minivan three times now. It drove up the street about five minutes ago, came back, and now it's passing by here again.”

  “Do you have a visual on the driver?”

  “No. The windows are tinted.”

  Inching my face closer to the window, I could see the maroon colored minivan driving up the street, but it didn't seem to slow down as it went past Penny's house. “Maybe the person is lost.”

  “You're probably right. But if it comes back again, I'm going outside to take a picture of the license plate.”

  There wasn't much traffic on the road at this time of night and nobody was out walking his/her dog or going for a jog. Even the moon in the sky seemed shrunken from the cold.

  “Why don't you take a nap,” Carter suggested. “I'll keep watch for a few hours until I can't keep my eyes open. Then we'll switch.”

  “Are you sure? I can make some coffee to stay awake.”

  “There's no point, Sarah. I can handle this. Besides, I didn't let you take a nap earlier so you need it.” He winked at me as a reminder of our roll in the hay.

  “Well, if you insist.” The bed was just a plain mattress with no sheets or pillows, but I didn't care. I folded up my jacket, placed it under my head, and made myself comfortable.

  Chapter 12

  Tuesday, December 9

  When I opened my eyes, the sunlight was pouring into the bedroom and I almost forgot where I was.

  “Morning, sleepyhead.” Carter's voice sounded groggy.

  I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Did I sleep through the entire night? What time is it?”

  “Almost six-thirty. Penny just left for work.”

  Carter's eyes were a little puffy and he needed a shave, but he seemed wide awake.

  “You stayed up all night?”

  “Yep. I popped a few caffeine pills right after you fell asleep, so I'm still wired.”

  I moved to the edge of the bed and stretched. My body felt stiff and achy. “I guess nothing exciting happened last night. Otherwise, you would have woken me up.”

  “Pretty quiet. Just the way I like it.”

  My cell phone chimed once, letting me know I had a text. It was from Penny.

  Just got to my client's house. I'll be here until two, then I'm stopping at the grocery store. Be home by three.

  “Penny got to work just fine,” I told Carter. “She plans to be back home by three.”

  “Good. In the meantime, hopefully our stalker will attempt another visit to her home. I want to get this guy's mug on camera so we can nail him.”

  My stomach growled. “Whad'ya say we get some breakfast. My treat.”

  He rubbed his hand over his stubble. “I could definitely go for some food.”

  We packed up the
equipment and headed over to the Hometown Diner and Carter feasted like he hadn't eaten in days. A four-egg omelet with bacon, home fries, wheat toast and a grilled blueberry muffin. I had two poached eggs on an English muffin with fresh squeezed orange juice.

  It was quarter to eight by the time Carter drove up the street to my apartment. “I'll drop you off and head back to my place for a while,” he said. “Maybe I can get a few hours of sleep before we go back to Penny's.”

  “Good idea. I'll call officer Bouchard and see what he's got on Brandon Whitman.”

  Carter leaned over and we kissed. “Call me later, okay?”

  “You bet.”

  Back home inside my cozy apartment, I enjoyed a long hot shower, letting the heat seep into my muscles. I got dressed, styled my hair and, when I returned to the kitchen, I noticed there was a voice message from Officer Bouchard on my cell phone.

  Sarah, I have some information on Brandon Whitman. Give me a call back as soon as you get a chance, please.

  The sense of urgency in his voice gave me hope. I dialed his number, and he picked up on the first ring.

  “Good morning Sarah?” he said. “Thanks for getting back to me.”

  “What did you find out about Brandon Whitman?”

  “Well, he's never been arrested but, last year a temporary restraining order was filed against him by a woman named Amy Henderson. At the end of the ten day grace period, she apparently decided not to pursue the matter and let it go. I read the file but it didn't give much information. I'm emailing you a copy of Brandon's driver's license with his current address.”

  “Sounds like Brandon could have been stalking this woman or, at least, harassing her. I wonder why she didn't go through with the permanent restraining order.”

  “She'd have to go in front of a judge and prove why she felt Brandon might be a danger to her. It's a lot of work. Maybe after the ten days, Brandon left her alone so she decided he was no longer a threat.”

  “Do you plan to go talk to him?”